Exactly a week ago, we told the sad tale of a luxury cruise ship that set out to sail around the world in 1,301 days across 147 countries. With cabins costing close to a million dollars, it seemed like fun and entertainment was guaranteed, but almost four months later, one hundred “lucky” passengers are still stranded in Belfast harbor. The company has just sent an update to its customers, and we’re guessing they’re not too happy.

Context. Before we give you the terrible news that Villa Residences Odyssey passengers woke up to, let’s give you a quick recap of the story. The original idea was a 3.5-year round-the-world cruise on a boat that offered cabins for sale for up to $899,000. This way, the customer would not only be purchasing a trip with an ending, but would also be able to continue living on the ship for the expected 15-year lifespan of the ship after finishing the route.

Of course, for that to happen, it had to set off at some point. The cruise ship has arrived at Queen’s Island in the Northern Ireland capital to be fitted out ahead of its scheduled departure on May 30 for the first three-year leg. But it has yet to start due to problems with its steering and gearbox, meaning the 200 or so passengers on the world tour have been stranded in Belfast for almost four months.

Expenses paid. The company’s first decision is to try to make their stay in the inhospitable port as pleasant as possible. Interestingly, they are allowed to stay on board during the day, but for security reasons they are forced to disembark each night for repairs, at which point they are transferred to hotels in Belfast or other cities, all expenses paid by Villa Residences.

In these almost four months, in addition to frequenting the city, many have also used their free time to go on excursions, visiting nearby and not-so-nearby destinations. Some have travelled to places as diverse as Greenland or the Canary Islands, with trips organised by the cruise line itself (which paid for everything). The surreal nature of the situation is such that we reported a week ago that one of the passengers had found time to return to Australia (twice) during the layover. But the “all-inclusive” mentality seems to be coming to an end.

Bad news. Villa Vie founder and CEO Mikael Petterson said a few weeks ago in early September that his “best guess” for the Odyssey to launch was September 9 or 10, noting that it was still “a moving target if necessary.” That date passed this week, along with a statement from the company.

In the post, Villa Vie explained that there were further delays and, more importantly, asked its “residents” to pay for their own accommodations for the next few days until the floating condo is fully certified. The ship appears to have recently completed its long-awaited sea trials, a critical “test run” for cruise ships, but is still awaiting the cruise ship safety certificate needed to set sail.

A mileage invoice. Since the initial delay, Petterson said Villa Vie has reportedly paid out almost $2 million in hotels and extras for clients stranded in Belfast. “I wouldn’t say it’s overwhelming, but it does add to the stress of not having set sail yet and not having an income.”

So when will it set sail? That’s the big question being asked by hundreds of passengers who promised themselves in May that they would embark on a vacation that would happily last them 15 years on a cruise ship. Hopefully, this won’t be like Petterson’s previous CEO gig. He was on another cruise ship, Life at Sea… and ended up canceling plans for a similar round-the-world cruise.

Image | Villa View

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